'We are looking at three positions if we can, but I am probably only confident in one position of the three. It looks like if our number one or two options don't come off, it will be the end of January.'

Cardiff's victory over Southampton last weekend lifted them to 14th in the Premier League, two places behind Watford, but they have only collected one point on their travels this term - at Huddersfield in August.

Warnock added: 'We've got to try and start picking up points away. You get punished a lot more away from home, and it's been our own fault away - we have shot ourselves in the foot.

'We are learning and we've improved as the season has gone on.'

Asked if Cardiff could preserve their Premier League status by not winning an away match, Warnock said: 'We would have to win a few good games at home against the top teams!

'You don't want to lose games away from home, but sometimes the results away are the ones you can't predict. Anyone outside the top five or six, there are surprising results.

'I am disappointed we are not on 20-plus (points), the points we've thrown away. We are still very big favourites to get relegated, and quite rightly so with the squad we've got, compared to others.

'We don't usually do things easily here, but the quality we showed against Southampton, I think we deserved that win.'